ST. CHARLES, MO (KPLR) – A St. Charles man was taken into custody Sunday night after authorities said he threatened to harm himself and police. Authorities say the man called police and said he was armed with a weapon. Neighbors were evacuated as smoke was visible from the man’s apartment in the 300 block of South 4th street.

Desiree Frost captured the scene on video as the man walked out of his own apartment. His face was charred. Police used a device known as a flash bang to safely apprehend the suspect. The device stunned the suspect without using lethal force. He fell to the ground while officers swarmed him and applied handcuffs.

A few hours later, police said they found evidence of a meth lab inside the suspect’s apartments. They had suspicions meth was involved. It was one reason they evacuated homes in the area.

A spokesman for the St. Charles fire department said the suspect was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

St. Charles inspectors condemned the apartment units because of the fire and evidence of a meth lab. The American Red Cross was assisting residents Sunday night. Police did not know how long it would be before residents could return.